Nyuju Stumpy Brown is a senior Wangkatjungka woman born around 1924 at Ngapawarlu in Western Australias Great Sandy Desert. Stumpy is a full sister to the late artist Rover Thomas. She lost her mother and father at an early age and was raised by her uncle, Jamali who was droving bullocks on the Canning Stock Route. He took Nyuju to Balgo Hills when she was a little girl, and then later returned to Fitzroy Crossing where Nyuju grew up and lived most of her life.

Stumpy Brown says of her early life: My country is desert county. There are no rivers, we never see running water like rivers, only creeks after the rain, only jilji (sandhills). When I was a young girl I came to Balgo on a camel. This was the first time I came from the bush. Later I worked in the kitchen at Bohemia Downs Station. We got no money for the work. We got tea, meat and tobacco.

Stumpy Brown began painting in the late 1980s in Fitzroy Crossing. As a senior law woman and custodian of Ngupawarlu, she recreates the story of her country in bold strong colours, and has been exhibiting her work since 1991. Stumpy lived for some time at Wangkatjungka Community with her husband Hitler Pamba, but more recently has moved back to Fitzroy Crossing, where she is closer to medical services.

Stumpy Browns work is represented in National and State Galleries and numerous private collections.

Selected Exhibitions:

1991 Karrayili - Tandanya, Adelaide
1992 Group Show, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney
1993 Mangkaja Women , Fremantle Art Centre
1993 Images of Power, National Gallery of Victoria
1994 Ngajakurra Ngurrara Minyarti, Artplace , Perth
1995 Kimberley Art , Melbourne
1995 Group Show, Australian Perspectives Gallery, Brisbane
1996 Heritage Commission Art Award , Old Parliament House, Canberra
1997 Group Show, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney
1998 Group Show, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
1999 Ngurrara, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
2001 Ngurrara Canvas , National Gallery of Australia
2001 Mangkaja Arts Ten Years On , Tandanya, Adelaide
2002 Group Show , Art Mob Gallery, Hobart
2003 Ten Mangkaja Women , Raft Artspace, Darwin
2003 Wangkatjungka Women, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
2003 Big Country , Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
2004 NATSIAA Telstra Awards, Museum & Art Gallery of NT, Darwin
2004 Wangkatjungka Country, Raintree Gallery, Darwin
2004 Jila & Tali, Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra
2004 Striking Colours of the Living Desert, Walkabout Gallery, Sydney,
2004 Big Country Gondwana Gallery, Springs
2004 Tali and Jila Sandhills and Waterholes, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
2004 Artists of Wangkatjungka, Raintree Gallery, Darwin
2004 Divas of the Desert, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
2004 Paintings from Wangkatjungka, Fire-Works Gallery, Brisbane
2005 Wangkatjungka, Ladner and Fell Gallery, Melbourne
2005 Wangkatjungka Artists, Walkabout Gallery, Sydney
2005 Wangkatjungka Artists, Tandanya, Adelaide

Collections:

" National Gallery of Australia
" National Gallery of Victoria
" Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of WA
" Northern Territory University

Bibliography: